BeWelcome Blog Feed for duesseldorfhttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/author/duesseldorf
Feed for BeWelcome BlogsA new Board of Directors has been elected by duesseldorfLast Weekend (18.+19. November 2017) the annual General Assembly of BeVolunteer - the association behind BeWelcome - took place in Lille / Northern France. Eight Volunteers have met there in real life, several others took place online - and quite some important decisions have been taken.
One of the decisions: As every year the new Board of Directors has been elected.
BeVolunteer now has a new secretary: A warm welcome to Frauenschuh!He is also actively volunteering in the Support Team.
The new treasurer is the same as the old one: thorgal67
and yes: I got re-elected and will continue for another year to be on the Board of Directors as well :)
I also want to grab the chance to say a big "THANK YOU" to the three members of last year's Board of Directors who - for different reasons in private life - decided not to go for the Board again:Thanks to sammiekong , wind and girandoliere !!!
Also during the General Assembly the Ombudsman has been confirmed. Many thanks to pietshah for being ready just in case... let's all hope that he will not have anything to do. Here you find Information about the tasks of an Ombudsperson and why there is one in BeWelcome.
BeWelcomeSun, 26 Nov 2017 00:01:18 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/26927http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/26927
duesseldorfTesting our new website by duesseldorf"Testing is like searching for truffles", a friend of mine once described it: You walk in a beautiful surrounding and then suddenly stumble upon something that is irritating.
We are all looking forward to our new website. The redesign is going on and advancing ... but nothing can be put online without proper testing beforehand. And the more people test it, the more bugs or inconsistencies will be noticed.
If you have an hour or two to spare and want to play around with the future look of BeWelcome then please consider joining the Testing Team:https://www.bewelcome.org/groups/62
BeWelcomeTue, 07 Nov 2017 20:14:49 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/26267http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/26267
duesseldorfRennes in Brittany invites you for a weekend, September 1-3, 2017 by duesseldorfIt is very cool that the member Franck Maya took up the challenge and organizes in Rennes in the north-west of France, a whole weekend full of activities for BeWelcome members and the whole hospitality exchange community.
He picked up the by now almost traditional title of a BeWelcome meeting and calles it "Seek The Stoat - Seek The Bigoudène". Up to you non native speakers to find out what that means ;)
Here you find more information about the program:https://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1842
Here are some details:
Thursday 1st September : 18h30 - BeerWelcome (Welcome drink). Bring some drink and food to share21h30 – Concert : Soultime (Jazz, free)
Saturday 2nd September : 10h - City Tour 1 by walk11h - Market "Place des Lices" 12h - picnic, games (Pétanque, Molkky, Palet breton...) 18h - pub crowling (oan’s Pub, Le Gazoline, Le Bistro de la Cité, Ty Anna-Tavern, Penny Lane) and free concert21h30 – Concert : Soultime (Jazz, free)
Sunday 3rd September : 10h - City Tour 2 by walk and Museum : Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée de Bretagne, la Criée centre d'art contemporain (entrance free)12h - BBQ, games (Pétanque, Molkky, Palet breton)15h : Water Study (Théâtre de Verdure, Free)16h : Concert d’Orgue : Œuvres de Boëly, Franck, Vierne, Widor, Messiaen avec Vincent Warnier (Paris) (Eglise Saint-Germain, Free) 21h – O’Connell’s Irish Pub
I am really sorry that I will not make it to Rennes to be with you!!!
BeWelcomeFri, 18 Aug 2017 18:35:55 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/22331http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/22331
duesseldorfGeneral Assembly 2017- News and Update by duesseldorfEvery year there has to be a General Assembly (GA) of BeVolunteer, the association behind BeWelcome. In 2017 the actual meeting part of the GA will take place November 18 + 19 in Lille/France (other parts are conducted online). You can find activities organized in Lille around the General Assembly here. Of course the program will be more detailed closer to the date.
The Board of Directors would like to invite you to take part in discussions about the future of BeWelcome. Attending is possible both online and by being present in Lille. Maybe it is a good idea to reserve that weekend already now and join us?
So let's get involved in the General Assembly! The Board of Directors is preparing the Agenda and you can contribute suggesting a topic (that might be discussed physically and/or online).
For more info about the upcoming GA 2017 please check this wiki. It is still in an early draft stage.
For more info about the General Assemblies please check this wiki.
For more info about Volunteering for BeWelcome please contact Sammie.
Cheers
The 2016-2017 BoD
Duesseldorf, Girandoliere, Sammiekong, Thorgal67, WindBeWelcomeFri, 18 Aug 2017 14:50:22 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/22172http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/22172
duesseldorfSafety Warning: Scammer wanted for theft by duesseldorf
We want to warn you about a specific threat which we have just become aware of.
A person claiming to be a 23 year old lawyer from Lithuania and living in Norway has been reported to police in Austria for stealing money from a host in Vienna while at his home alone. He had claimed in last minute hosting groups and accommodation requests to hosts using the name "Karlivas" that he had been robbed and urgently needed a place to stay until he could take his flight. The same story he had also used in the UK (Newcastle, London) and Spain (Mallorca). After his profile was banned by BeWelcome, he reappeared in Milan with a similar profile and story using the name "Karolis24". He allegedly also uses Couchsurfing.com.
He has used these photos on his profiles:
https://www.bewelcome.org/gallery/img?id=57858
He is described as about 1.90m tall with short, blond hair and usually well dressed. He may change his appearance or his story. If you receive a message from someone you believe is this person or if you have any information, please share it immediately with the BeWelcome Safety Team at safety@bewelcome.org or through one of the "contact us" links on the website, selecting "report safety issue" (https://www.bewelcome.org/feedback?IdCategory=2). If you are with this person, please make sure first that you and your belongings are safe.
In the 10-year history of BeWelcome this is the first time that a crime has been reported and that we need to warn members of a specific threat, beyond the advice we always give members and which are outlined on https://www.bewelcome.org/safety. Based on the past ten years BeWelcome is very safe to use, especially if you apply good judgement and instincts when interacting with people you meet for the first time, and when we all help others make informed decisions by reporting problems we become aware of.
Here are some of the things you can do to protect yourself in general:
- Read the requests you receive and the profiles carefully. Look out for clear pictures of the person requesting your hospitality and at arrival make sure they correspond.
- Communicate through the BeWelcome messaging system whenever possible.
- Apply the same if not extra caution to last minute requests claiming emergencies. Don't rush your decision. If it doesn't feel right, don't accept.
- If you are already hosting someone about whom you have doubts or when you have concerns for your safety or your belonging, it is generally best to ask the guest to leave. You are never obliged to let anyone stay in your home, even after accepting. If you cannot or do not want to make an unwanted guest leave, you can ask to see identification, as a precaution or at least to know who exactly you are dealing with. Get help from friends or from police if necessary.
- Don't tempt guests with unattended valuables. Only leave people alone in your home or give keys to them when you believe you can trust them.
We wish you many safe and enjoyable interactions with fellow members. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
The volunteers of your BeWelcome Safety Team
BeWelcomeSun, 13 Aug 2017 08:39:23 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/16610http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/16610
duesseldorfThank you for your feedback! by duesseldorfOur member survey announced here on June 18th is now finished and a summary of results can be viewed and downloaded at
https://downloads.bewelcome.org/surveys/2017_BW_Member_Survey.pdf
We want to thank everyone who helped prepare and analyse the survey - and the 851 members who took the time to complete it.
Some of the main findings are that most members join BeWelcome for hosting, staying with locals, cultural exchange and because it is non-profit. Almost all respondents actually did travel, but most used other options for staying overnight. Most say they have already met other members in person, and most have already received a hosting request. So BeWelcome is not just some website or a collection of profiles, but something tangible. However, 3 of 4 have not hosted anyone over the past 12 months. Most say they don’t receive enough requests, and almost nobody receives too many. Most have tried to find a host on BeWelcome and most have found it difficult not only to find one, but even to obtain a reply.
The main reasons given for not logging in for a long time are not receiving requests and having forgotten about BeWelcome.
3 of 4 are also members of CouchSurfing, and they keep using CS to find hosts. The main reasons given for that are that they didn’t find a BW host and that they didn’t think about looking on BW.
The satisfaction level with BeWelcome is the same as with the other hospitality websites which respondents use.
Male users and users who have not logged in for 6 months are somewhat less satisfied with BeWelcome.
Forum and activities have not been important reasons for joining, have been used little and are not a focus for improvement requested by respondents.
What respondents want most by far are more hosts and more guests, easier member search and a mobile-friendlier website.
The redesign of the website with mobile devices in mind and with improved search is already underway and there are a number of ideas for growing active membership in line with our values. Hopefully these improvements will also help to make existing members more active. Now that we have a benchmark, we will be able to measure the progress we make.
Do you want to share your opinion and your questions with other members? Then either comment here or check this forum thread:https://www.bewelcome.org/forums/s17960-Member_survey___resultsBeWelcomeMon, 17 Jul 2017 14:39:23 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/20936http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/20936
duesseldorfCamping at the Mosel river July 19-24th by duesseldorfHave you ever been to a hospitality Exchange camp? Ever heard of the Mont Royal Summer Camp?It will happen for the 11th time this year - from July 19th to 24th and it has become one of the oldest camps in the hospitality exchange communities in Europe. The organizer flohfish put a lot of effort into this multiple day event with ist festival like character.
The camp will take place in flohfishs home town - the picturous Traben-Trarbach
Location: Traben-Trarbach, Germnany
https://goo.gl/maps/PEB5kXu7gqQ2
This is a "real camp" including camping in tents. Those who come for the first time will get to know hundreds of members from all different hospitality exchange networks like BeWelcome and experience lots of activities together. The difference from normal hospitality meetings is the target group: Hospitality Camps are not organised only for the local community and the few travellers in town; these events are meant to attract people from all over the world. Mont Royal Summer Camp has become one of the most attended hospitality exchange camps in the world. When the unreliable German weather is good it attracts several hundred people.
You can find more Information here:https://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1872
I will also attend and offer to read from my book about hospitality exchange communities (published in German language back in 2010, title "(Fast) Gratis Reisen") and discuss about it and our common experiences being hosts or guests.
You should join us and come to the Mont Royal Summer Camp this July!BeWelcomeThu, 06 Jul 2017 09:41:15 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/20279http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/20279
duesseldorf"In Cod we Trust" Vol. 2 is going to happen in September by duesseldorfOoops - they do it again: The BeWelcome members from Marseille in southern France invite you (yes - you!) for the second time to spend a weekend in their beautiful city: September 22nd to 24th, 2017.
They are preparing an amazing Programm: Aperitives, Hiking, Games & Quizzes, Contests ...
Join them here:
https://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1915
This year I will not be able to join but attended in 2016 and it was one of my nicest weekends of last year: relaxed city discovering, picture search, Pastis tasting, my first Pétanque... add a private concert for us BeWelcome members by a cool brass band, lots of good talks and laughs - and you get an idea of what lies ahead of you!
BeWelcomeMon, 26 Jun 2017 10:09:35 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19863http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19863
duesseldorfLots of fun at the 6th Seek the Duck weekend by duesseldorfIt is already a week ago that the 6th Seek the Duck Weekend took place in Toulouse from June 2nd to 4th. With lots of love and energy and hospitality from Southern France the local community organized wonderful activities, starting with a picknick on friday night at the boards of Garonne river, playing Pétanque and Mölkki, a treasure hunt, visiting a local sunday market together and a spontanous cooking session to end the weekend. About 25 BeWelcome members enjoyed the weekend.
This was the program:http://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1757
And here are some pictures:https://www.dropbox.com/s/rbfb2hibdri23dq/IMG_20170602_204455.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/68e37tzl7lopame/IMG_20170602_215146_1.jpg?dl=0
wine tasting
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zukko4y6opdvqa8/IMG_20170603_133340.jpg?dl=0
sunday picknick in a park
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1v303nfjfzx7de1/IMG_20170604_134354.jpg?dl=0
playing Pétanque
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3fkwurt0tw1y3j/IMG_20170604_184904.jpg?dl=0
...and we found the duck!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/08mxlii0xoqtxv3/IMG_20170603_124213.jpg?dl=0
(sorry - somehow the blog feature of adding photos does not seem to work ... probably the mistake sits in front of the computer. So please follow the links to the pictures.)
We are curious whether there will be more "Birthday Events" taking place in 2017 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of BeWelcome...
BeWelcomeMon, 12 Jun 2017 10:55:56 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19198http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19198
duesseldorfBeWelcomes video channel by duesseldorfDid you know that BeWelcome has a video channel?https://vimeo.com/bewelcomevideo
In the last weeks two new videos have been uploaded there.
The first one is about the 10 anniversary weekend of BeWelcome in Berlin, April 30 – May 1. 2017:https://vimeo.com/217298171
Thanks to amnesiac84https://www.bewelcome.org/members/amnesiac84
not only for having been the driving force behind the whole weekend but also for having made this Video.
Also brand new is the introduction video to BeWelcome: A 4 minutes long explanatory video about how BeWelcome works and what you can do to use it:
https://vimeo.com/217990612
BIIIG thanks for this video go to milanchehttps://www.bewelcome.org/members/milanchefrom Nis / Southern Serbia.
And for those who like to critizise:Yes, we know that the videos are amateurish and far from being professional. That is okay with us :)
None of us is a professional - neither in front of nor behind the camera. People used what they had for the filming – and even old cameras do, as you can see.
You are welcome to do a better video … or just something different? Please send us your little movies and we will upload them at this BeWelcome channel.
BeWelcomeMon, 29 May 2017 11:00:48 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/18296http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/18296
duesseldorfToulouse invites you to Seek the Duck – first weekend in June by duesseldorfFor the 6th time our local community from Toulouse (Southern France) organizes a weekend full of discoveries and activities.Come and join "Seek the Duck" from June 2nd to 4th!
Here you find the program they put together:
http://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1757
All activities are free. Only for the wine tasting you are asked to pay 3 Euro per person to be able to buy good wines. And life is too short to drink bad wines!
Please sign in each of the activity to make it easier for the organizers to get an overview of the number of participants.
By the way: I am planning to go to Toulouse as well and hope to meet as many BeWelcomers as possible! Let's spend the weekend together! See you in Toulouse!
BeWelcomeMon, 22 May 2017 09:34:27 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/17121http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/17121
duesseldorfA community of 100.000 members by duesseldorfYesterday BeWelcome was able to welcome its 100.000th member!
This is great news!Although BeWelcome does not focus on numbers having more than 100.000 members now is good news for our community because it means that travellers have better chances to find hosts in more places and that our white spots on the global map are getting scarcer.
A slow and steady growth of member numbers is the perfect proof that our chosen path to not actively market our community anywhere works well. Word of mouth spreads the knowledge of BeWelcome's existence. So please tell all your friends who have an open heart and house to join and sign in.
And if you enjoy looking at some statistics - here they are:
https://www.bewelcome.org/statsBeWelcomeSat, 20 May 2017 11:16:06 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/17856http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/17856
duesseldorfBig BeWelcome Anniversary weekend in Berlin in 8 days by duesseldorfThe countdown is on for the first BIG event to celebrate BeWelcomes 10th anniversary:
Come to Berlin from April 28th to May 1st and join a loooong weekend full of activities, meet the city with its touristy and off the beaten track sights, and most of all: Meet other BeWelcome members and have a good time together!
Here is the program that the local BeWelcomers put together for you:http://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1762
Please have a look at the different activities and join them separarely to make life easer for the organizers:
Friday April 28th
19:00 Critical Mass from Nettelbeckplatz, Wedding (bike needed)
20:00 Critical Mass from Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg (bike needed)
22:00 BeerWelcome @ Prater Biergarten, Kastanienallee, Prenzlauer Berg
Saturday April 29th
12:00 Picnick in the Park, location to be announced (please bring food/drinks/games)
13:00 Berlin Spring Climb @ Mount Mitte (costs involved)
17:00 Brewery Tour, Prenzlauer Berg & Wedding
22:00 Nightingale Dark Walk, location to be announced
Sunday April 30th
13:00 'Classic' city tour, start at Clock on Alexanderplatz
13:00 'Alternative' city tour, Friedrichshain
18:00 Evening Picnick @ Tempelhofer Feld, Tempelhof
21:00 Walpurgisnacht @ Mauerpark, Prenzlauer Berg
Monday May 1st
14:00 Kubb in the Park, Volkspark Humboldthain, Wedding
20:00 Pubquiz @ Tipperary, Wedding
A BIIIG Thank You to the organizers - specially to amnesiac84 who motivated the other organizers.
Looking at the list of attendees it seems to become a huge French-German "jumelage" (partnership) :)
I am very sorry not being able to attend myself. It is the celebration weekend of the 50th wedding anniversary of my parents and family business has to come first this weekend. Really sorry not being able to meet you all in Berlin!
BeWelcomeSun, 23 Apr 2017 09:37:18 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/16032http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/16032
duesseldorfAnomymous Donation to Volunteers by duesseldorfSome days ago active BeWelcome volunteers found a little surprise parcel in their mailbox. Not a virtual messge but a real envelope containing a designed mouse pad. Isn't this beautiful?
One of those members is JJ_T who volunteers in the Translation Team:
"Getting a present from BeWelcome was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Most volunteers organize their task over the BeWelcome forum and rarely see each other in person. Now I have a 'real object' right next to my notebook that serves as a constant reminder that what we do really counts for someone."
Anonymous donor wants to say "Thank you"
The member who had the mousepads designed and shipped appreciates the works with which the volunteers enable the community.
Here is the message from that member – who wants to stay anomymous:
„The motivation I did it was because I really appreciate all the time and works our volunteers contribute to the community. I think it is nice to have something physical with the BeWelcome logo which can remind us that BeWelcome is not just a virtual community. So I took the convenient of my work to get some mouse pads done and sent to those who had actively contributed in 2016. I hope this mouse pad can make each of them smile and feel proud when they use their mouse and computer working for BeWelcome.“
BeWelcomeThu, 20 Apr 2017 09:28:29 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/15734http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/15734
duesseldorfDonation goal reached within 80 days by duesseldorfIn 80 days around the world – that was my first thought when I noticed that we reached the target of 2000 Euros for the donation campaign 2016/2017 within 80 days. A BIG THANK YOU to each single of the donors!
Here are some statistics:
The donation campaign started on December 10th 2016 and finished February 28th 2017
68 donations added up to reach our goal. On the average this means that we received almost every day a donation.
The average donation was approximately 30 Euro.
Biggest donations: 200 Euro (2x)
Smallest donation : 1 Euro
The donations came from 24 different countries.
Most donations came from:
Germany (12)
France (10)
Switzerland (5)
Biggest amounts came from :
Germany (420 Euro)
Switzerland (360 Euro)
France (250 Euro)
China (210 Euro)
For me personally the most "exotic" country a donation came from was Kosovo. But also Australia and Mexico... I love to see that BeWelcome becomes a little bit less Europe-centered every year :)
How the money reached us:
46% through bank transfer
51% through PayPal
3% through BitPay
BeWelcomeThu, 02 Mar 2017 11:27:02 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14564http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14564
duesseldorfGiving gives joy by duesseldorfI send a thank you message to another member who donated more than the average. BeWelcome member harvski gave 100 Euros. I asked him why he decided to donate - and here is his very insightful answer:
"I really hope that BeWelcome becomes more popular as it's such a lovely thing to host and be hosted by people just for the joy of it. I've been participating in these sorts of communities for many years and have made many amazing friends. As an IT professional I know how much it costs to host servers and am amazed at your small annual budget. I've no idea if I could be helpful to you other than money but I'd love to get involved."
Again an answer that shows the spirit in this community: Members love to share and add to the good in this world. I simply love this!
And yes: Our budget is pretty small - we really try to avoid all unneccessary costs. For the whole year we planned to spend only a bit more than 4000 Euros. We decided to ask for less as donations to reduce the amount of money on our savings account a bit. We still have some reserves for emergencies and just-in-case-situtations.Of course things might be able to move more quickly when one is ready to spend money on them. But it is the general priniciple of BeWelcome that volunteering is the base of everything - so no paid programmers, no paid web- or app-designers. Still things are moving forrward with BeWelcome - so this patiences seems to pay off, specially when it comes to the redesign and mobile friendlyness of our pages. Have a look here at the latest developments:https://www.bewelcome.org/forums/s17365-New_DesignSooooo much looking forward to this!
BeWelcomeSat, 18 Feb 2017 00:12:59 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14333http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14333
duesseldorfThanks for another big donation :) by duesseldorfIt happened again: One member donated one tenth of the money we need for a whole year. We are VERY grateful for this! Thank you!
Matchi1981 - a German living in China - donated 200 Euros. This one donation enables BeWelcome to run for about 5 to 6 weeks.
I asked Matchi1981 why he donated such a big sum. Here is his answer:
"After I became a BeWelcome member and got used to this website, I was looking for an opportunity to support this community as back in 2013 I was very interested in hospitality exchange.
Settled up and being active within the New Members BeWelcome (NMBW) Team over several months/years was and still is very enjoyable for me.
Due to several changes in life within last 2 years (got married, promoted, moved to China, family started to grow,...) there were less and less spare time to be online supporting BeWelcome by volunteering, which is little frustrating when considering the fun it brought me.
When I saw the donation bar is back, I thought about those wonderful hours I spent volunteering and as I can't be so active my hope is that this monetary donation will help the community to move on with the upcoming tasks.
All the best for 2017 from Shanghai :) "
Doesn't this show the quintessence of BeWelcome: Sharing, supporting - not only by hosting and being a guest but also: VOLUNTEERING IS REWARDING AND FUN! :)
Everybody is welcome to join our teams of volunteers!Be sure: The more you "invest" in BeWelcome, the more you receive in return: Friendship, trust and the feeling that you did your share to make the world a better place!
BeWelcomeThu, 02 Feb 2017 08:48:39 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13911http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13911
duesseldorf Save the Date: 6th „Seek the Duck“ in Toulouse – 2.-4. June 2017 by duesseldorfThe Duck is active again!
For the 6th time the super-active BeWelcome community of Toulouse (southern France) invites everybody to help them „Seek the Duck“.
The programm is not fixed yet – but will surely be as diverse, interesting and cool as the previous times where they organized a treasure hunt, wine tasting, picknick, music and party and much more.
Join here:
https://www.bewelcome.org/activities/1741
BeWelcomeSat, 21 Jan 2017 15:13:53 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13629http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13629
duesseldorfOne of the biggest donations to BeWelcome ever by duesseldorfI could hardly believe my eyes when I checked the incoming donations and found out that BeWelcome has just received one of the biggest donation in its history: Member saraedum donated 200 Euros - one tenth of our donation goal 2016/2017.
Big thank you from whole BeWelcome goes to Columbia where saraedum is travelling at the moment!
I asked him about his motivation to donate this much money. Here is his answer:
"I am travelling now full time for almost two years. Honestly I think it is a pity that I continue using CS because I like the democratic structures of BeWelcome so much better. But sadly BeWelcome (and also Servas) are not big enough and therefor no option for traveling in Latin America.If I can support BeWelcome this way I am very happy."
This sums up so well the spirit of BeWelcome ... but also the challenges we are facing. We are still pretty much Europe-centered and did not reach the critical mass of members in other continents yet. If everyone continues spreading the word then BeWelcome will soon be a truely active global community.
BeWelcomeSat, 14 Jan 2017 13:37:05 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13462http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/13462
duesseldorfCan you help pay the bills? by duesseldorfThanks to the time and skills donated by our volunteers BeWelcome only needs about 2000€ to cover expenses for the coming year. If you enjoy BeWelcome and would like to contribute, even just 1€, $ or £, you can do so at http://www.bewelcome.org/donate.
If you would like to volunteer your skills, you can have a look at http://www.bewelcome.org/about/getactive and contact the BeWelcome volunteer coordinator sammiekong.BeWelcomeSat, 17 Dec 2016 09:39:14 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/12833http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/12833
duesseldorfPhilippines by duesseldorfA friend of mine just moved to Manila. I want to visit him - but I want to see not only this city but more of the Philippines. I want to travel around ... Cebu, Palawan, Bohol are possible islands to go to. Have not booked my flights yet so the dates are flexible.BeWelcomeMon, 25 May 2015 23:03:58 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5632http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5632
duesseldorfKuala Lumpur by duesseldorfon our way back home we will visit Kuala Lumpur for 2 full days/3 nightsBeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/4111http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/4111
duesseldorfBeijing by duesseldorfWant to spend some days in Beijing end of July and/or beginning of August 2015BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5630http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5630
duesseldorfTaiwan by duesseldorfWant to visit Taiwan - dates are flexible as I have not booked my tickets yetBeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5631http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/5631
duesseldorfweekends in Panama City by duesseldorfwe will spend all weekends in Panama City and hope to meet locals to have fun :)
y claro que ambos hablamos castellano :)BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/6795http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/6795
duesseldorfSent: Press Release "10 years BeWelcome" by duesseldorfFebruary 2007: BeWelcomes website went onlineFebruary 2017: The Communication Team sent out a press release to almost 450 journalists and bloggers
Many of those journalists and bloggers who are interested in our way of living, sharing and traveling are already members of our community. One of them is osamabayoumi - a fairly new member from Egypt.This was the first message he received from BeWelcome. He was so happy about it that he immediately posted it in his social media accounts. He sent a nice short message back: "great hope you more and more success all the best "
By publishing the information we provided him with he helps spreading the word about BeWelcome in Egypt and the Arabic speaking world that is still quite underrepresented within our membership. The communication team is very happy that its information is appreciated out there by its "target group" - those who publish in media.
And here is the Press Release in all four languages: English, French, Spanish, German:
Press Release
BeWelcome celebrates its 10th anniversary
Rennes/France, 19.02.2017. It has been 10 years since BeWelcome, the non-profit hospitality exchange community went online and began connecting locals and travellers worldwide. Throughout 2017, members will organize anniversary activities and events to celebrate this anniversary. No other online hospitality exchange network has reached this non-profit milestone.
One "birthday party" will take place in Berlin/Germany during the long weekend of May 1st. BeWelcome members from all over the world will meet and enjoy various activities like a discovery tour of the city, picnics and beer tasting. Another major BeWelcome event will happen in Toulouse/France during the first weekend of June. Local members will organize a treasure hunt, wine tasting and other activities. They invite all BeWelcome members to join them.
The many different backgrounds and diversity of BeWelcome members show that opening the door to other people or showing them around one's home town is not the remit of a few free spirited students or the privileged few. On the contrary, opening one's door and really diving into the local culture is an opportunity open to everyone.
“Meeting locals is always a unique experience and will very likely influence the perceptions we have of a culture or a country“, says Anja Kühner, spokesperson and member of the board of directors of BeVolunteer, the non-profit organization behind BeWelcome. She invites travellers who are interested in a deeper understanding of other cultures to look for hospitality through BeWelcome. For those who do not travel, she invites those with an open heart and mind to open their doors and invite others to understand everyone has a place in the global village. A village full of hospitality and exchange - following the vision of BeWelcome.
About BeWelcome:
BeWelcome (www.bewelcome.org) is a non-commercial online platform and a community which enables hospitality exchange. Within the first 10 years, about 90.000 members joined BeWelcome. The network enables guest-host-experiences and encounters in almost every country around the globe. Both travellers and locals can sign up, create a user profile, host travellers, find hosts and share experiences. No money is involved in the hosting experience. The website runs on open source code and the safety of the members and their data is a top priority. BeWelcome.org is based on transparency, a living grassroots democracy, run exclusively by volunteers and funded by donations only. Every member can become a volunteer and support the project. Thanks to the volunteer translators, the website is available in more than 40 different languages.
About BeVolunteer:
BeVolunteer is the legal entity behind BeWelcome. BeVolunteer is registered as a non-profit association in Rennes/France.
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Communiqué de presse
BeWelcome fête ses 10 ans
Rennes, France, le 19/02/2017. Voici maintenant 10 ans que BeWelcome, un réseau d’échange d’hospitalité à but non lucratif, met en relation sur Internet des voyageurs et des locaux à travers le monde. Pour célébrer cet anniversaire, les membres BeWelcome proposeront des événements tout au long de l’année. Aucun autre réseau d’échange d’hospitalité en ligne n’est parvenu à atteindre une telle longévité en restant un organisme à but non lucratif.
Berlin (Allemagne) profitera du weekend prolongé du 1er mai pour organiser une grande fête d’anniversaire. Les membres du monde entier pourront participer aux diverses activités proposées, dont des visites de la ville, des pique-niques et des dégustations de bières. Le premier weekend de juin, les membres de Toulouse (France) hébergeront à leur tour ce grand événement et prévoient entre autres une chasse au trésor et une dégustation de vin. Tous les membres BeWelcome sont invités à les rejoindre.
La grande diversité des membres BeWelcome démontre qu’ouvrir sa porte et faire visiter sa région aux voyageurs n’est pas l’apanage de quelques jeunes esprits libres ou de privilégiés — de même qu’il est à la portée de tous d’être accueilli et de réellement plonger dans la culture locale.
«Rencontrer les habitants est une expérience unique, qui influence à coup sûr la perception que l’on a d’une culture ou d’un pays» explique Anja Kühner, porte-parole et membre du bureau de direction de BeVolunteer, l’association qui soutient BeWelcome. Anja encourage les voyageurs qui souhaitent découvrir en profondeur les autres cultures à chercher un hôte sur BeWelcome. Elle invite également ceux qui ne voyagent pas à ouvrir leur cœur, leur esprit et leur porte à ceux qui le font, pour comprendre combien chacun a sa place dans notre village planétaire.
À propos de BeWelcomePlateforme en ligne non commerciale, BeWelcome (www.bewelcome.org) est également une communauté de personnes œuvrant pour l’échange d’hospitalité. En 10 ans, environ 90 000 membres ont rejoint ce réseau, qui permet d’héberger, de rendre visite ou tout simplement de rencontrer des personnes dans quasiment tous les pays du monde. Chacun peut s’inscrire, remplir un profil, rencontrer ou héberger des voyageurs, ainsi que chercher des hôtes, sans aucun échange d’argent. Le site Internet fonctionne sur du code open source et la sécurité des membres et de leurs données est une priorité absolue. Le projet BeWelcome.org est basé sur le principe de transparence et a adopté un fonctionnement participatif, exclusivement géré par des bénévoles et des dons. Chaque membre peut se porter volontaire pour soutenir le projet. Le site est aujourd’hui disponible en plus de 40 langues, grâce aux traducteurs bénévoles.
À propos de BeVolunteerBeVolunteer est l’entité légale derrière BeWelcome. BeVolunteer est une association à but non lucratif enregistrée à Rennes (France).
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Nota de prensa
BeWelcome celebra su décimo aniversario
Rennes/Francia 19.02.2017. Han pasado 10 años desde que BeWelcome, la comunidad de intercambio de hospitalidad sin ánimo de lucro, empezó a conectar por Internet a residentes locales y viajeros de todo el mundo. A lo largo de todo el año 2017, los miembros de BeWelcome van a organizar actividades y eventos para celebrar este aniversario. Ninguna otra red de intercambio de hospitalidad de Internet ha cumplido tantos años permaneciendo siempre una organización sin ánimo de lucro.
Una “fiesta de cumpleaños” tendrá lugar en Berlín/Alemania durante el puente del 1 de mayo. Miembros de BeWelcome de todo el mundo se encontrarán y disfrutarán de diversas actividades como una vuelta para descubrir la ciudad, picnics y degustaciones de cervezas. Otro evento importante tendrá lugar en Toulouse/Francia durante la primera semana de junio. Miembros locales van a organizar una caza del tesoro, una degustación de vinos y otras actividades. Todos los miembros de BeWelcome están invitados a unirse a ellos.
Las múltiples trayectorias vitales y la diversidad de los miembros de BeWelcome demuestran que abrir la puerta a otras personas o servirles de guía en la propia ciudad no es una prerrogativa exclusiva de estudiantes de espíritu libre ni de unos pocos privilegiados. De la misma manera, también es una oportunidad que está al alcance de todos, el salir de casa y sumergirse realmente en la cultura local.
“Conocer a la gente del lugar es siempre una experiencia única y que influenciará muy probablemente las percepciones que tendremos de una cultura o de un país” comenta Anja Kühner, portavoz y miembro de la Junta directiva de BeVolunteer, la organización sin ánimo de lucro en la que se apoya BeWelcome. Anja anima a los viajeros que están interesados en comprender más profundamente otras culturas a buscar hospitalidad a través de BeWelcome. También anima a aquellos que no viajan a abrir su corazón, su espíritu y su puerta a los que sí viajan para comprender hasta que punto todo el mundo tiene un lugar en la aldea global. Una aldea global llena de hospitalidad y de intercambios - de acuerdo con la visión de BeWelcome.
Sobre BeWelcome
BeWelcome (www.bewelcome.org) es una comunidad que fomenta el intercambio de hospitalidad utilizando una plataforma online no comercial. Durante los primeros 10 años, 90.000 miembros se han unido a BeWelcome. La red permite recibir invitados, encontrar anfitriones o simplemente reunirse con personas en prácticamente todos los países del mundo. Cualquiera que esté interesado en viajar o en recibir viajeros puede registrarse, crear un perfil de usuario, alojar viajeros, encontrar anfitriones y compartir experiencias. No hay dinero involucrado en el intercambio de hospitalidad. El sitio web emplea software de código abierto y la seguridad de los miembros y de sus datos personales es una prioridad absoluta. BeWelcome.org se basa en la transparencia y en un funcionamiento participativo, basado exclusivamente en el trabajo de voluntarios y en las donaciones. Todos los miembros pueden ofrecerse como voluntarios para apoyar el proyecto. Gracias a los traductores voluntarios, el sitio web está disponible en más de 40 idiomas diferentes.
Sobre BeVolunteer:
BeVolunteer es la entidad legal detrás de BeWelcome. BeVolunteer es una asociación sin ánimo de lucro registrada en Rennes/Francia.
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PressemitteilungBeWelcome feiert 10. Geburtstag
Rennes/Frankreich, 19.02.2017. Vor genau 10 Jahren ist das Online-Gastfreundschaftsnetzwerk BeWelcome online gegangen. Die gemeinnützige Organisation verbindet seither Einheimische mit Reisenden weltweit. Im ganzen Jahr 2017 werden Mitglieder bei Treffen und Veranstaltungen den Jahrestag feiern. Kein andere Non-Profit-Organisation unter den Gastfreundschaftsnetzwerken hat diesen Meilenstein bisher erreicht.
Eine "Geburtstags"-Party wird in Berlin über das lange Wochenende zum 1.Mai stattfinden. Freunde und Mitglieder von BeWelcome aus der ganzen Welt treffen sich dort, um gemeinsam die Stadt zu erkunden, zu picknicken und vielleicht einige Bier-Sorten zu verkosten. Ein weiteres Treffen wird es am ersten Juni-Wochenende im südfranzösischen Toulouse/Frankreich geben. Die lokalen Mitglieder planen bereits eine Schatzsuche, Wein-Verkostung und etliche andere Aktionen. Sie laden alle Freunde und Mitglieder von BeWelcome zum mitfeiern ein.
Die Mitglieder von BeWelcome haben sehr unterschiedliche Hintergründe. Ihre Vielfalt zeigt deutlich, dass es nicht nur Sache von ein paar enthusiastischen Studenten ist, fremden Menschen ihre Tür zu öffnen und ihnen die eigene Heimat zu zeigen. Im Gegenteil - die eigene Tür zu öffnen oder in eine andere Kultur einzutauchen ist für jeden möglich geworden.
"Einheimische zu treffen ist immer eine einmalige Erfahrung und hat Einfluss darauf, wie wir ein Land oder eine Kultur wahrnehmen", sagt Anja Kühner, Sprecherin und Mitglied des Vorstands von BeVolunteer, der gemeinnützigen Organisation hinter BeWelcome. Sie lädt Reisende mit Interesse für andere Kulturen ein, Gastfreundschaft durch BeWelcome zu erfahren. Wer nicht selbst reist, die lädt sie ein, Herz und Tür zu öffnen und andere zu sich einzuladen und den eigenen Ort als Teil des "globalen Dorfs" zu erleben. Ein "globales Dorf' voller Austausch und Gastfreundschaft - der Vision von BeWelcome folgend.
Über BeWelcome:BeWelcome (www.bewelcome.org) ist eine gemeinnützige Organisation und eine Online-Plattform, die den Austausch von Gastfreundschaft ermöglicht. In den zehn Jahren seit Gründung ist BeWelcome auf etwa 90.000 Mitglieder gewachsen. Das Netzwerk unterstützt Begegnungen zwischen Gast und Gastgeber in fast jedem Land der Erde. Reisende und Einheimische können sich anmelden, ein Profil erstellen, Gäste einladen, Gastgeber finden und Erfahrungen austauschen. Diese Art von Gastfreundschaft funktioniert völlig ohne Geld. Die Webseite basiert auf Open-Source-Software, die Sicherheit der Mitglieder und ihrer Daten hat höchste Priorität. BeWelcome.org baut auf Transparenz, eine lebendige Basis-Demokratie, das Engagement von Freiwilligen und finanziert sich nur durch Spenden. Jedes Mitglied kann zudem als Freiwilliger das Projekt unterstützen. Dank der ehrenamtlichen Übersetzer ist die Webseite inzwischen in mehr als 50 Sprachen verfügbar.Über BeVolunteer:BeVolunteer ist die juristische Person hinter BeWelcome. BeVolunteer ist in Rennes/Frankreich als Verein eingetragen. BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14431http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/14431
duesseldorfAntwerpen for Easter 2017 by duesseldorfI will travel to Antwerp for two days / one night together with my friend Moira_Felicitas https://www.bewelcome.org/members/Moira_Felicitas We are looking for a host as well as for someone showing us the best café in town ;)BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/15816http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/15816
duesseldorfOnline Survey - BeWelcome needs your feedback by duesseldorfAfter 10 years of growth it is time to get a better overview over what BeWelcome members experience, what motivates them, what issues they encounter and how we can make BeWelcome even better.Many of you have expressed your opinions in the forum, but the vast majority has been silent most of the time.However, everyone’s experience is valuable for us. Now it is up to you to give us impulses to shape the future of BeWelcome.
For this reason many of you will receive an invitation for an online survey withn the next days.For logistical reasons we cannot ask all of you, but we make sure that a statistically significant part of members is included with a randomized selection:The survey includes members who have been active recently as well as members whose status has been set to ”inactive” because they haven’t logged in for more than twelve months. We would very much like to understand the reasons for their inactivity. Honest and straightforward answers and criticism can only make BeWelcome better.
Your privacy is very important to us.
Therefore all answers will be strictly anonymous, there won‘t be any question or combination of questions, that could allow to identify the respondent.All answers will be stored in an anonymized form, without your username, email or other personal Information.
With your privacy and data-protection in mind we have thoroughly analysed the main providers of online-surveys. One criterion was to ensure that only BW-members can answer and answer only once.Lamapoll (www.lamapoll.com) turned out to be the only provider that fully meets these criteria. They have signed a contract with us to guarantee not to use any data except for the purpose of this survey and they have agreed to let us, as a non-profit association, use their tool free of charge. Thank you, LamaPoll, for your support and for answering all our questions.
The survey will start on June 19th and end on July 9th. Analyzing your answers will take some time, but we will work hard to communicate the results as soon as possible and look forward to using them to improve BeWelcome.BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19542http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/19542
duesseldorfA warm welcome to the first BeWelcome baby by duesseldorfBeWelcome is not a dating site. But sometimes it happens that likeminded members meet and find out that there is more between them than just sharing a lifestyle, common interests, and hobbies. Sometimes unplanned things happen – for example that two members fall in love. This is called life.
While still living in Munich artep https://www.bewelcome.org/members/artep liked to go hiking in the Alps. She posted several suggestions of hikes in the Munich group https://www.bewelcome.org/groups/288 and also revived the Munich hiking group https://www.bewelcome.org/groups/1278.
One answer came from kanalpiroge https://www.bewelcome.org/members/Kanalpiroge. They did a hike together – and I like her comment about him: “… and I'd like to meet him again – for hiking or other stuff.”
Well – the “other stuff” includes that they both moved to Mannheim in 2015, got married in November 2016, and their son was born Januar 2nd 2017. :)
Congratulations to the first BeWelcome baby I became aware of!
By the way: artep is the coordinator of the New Members BeWelcome Team! (Though currently on maternity leave...)BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/23204http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/23204
duesseldorfYou can support scientific research if you live in London by duesseldorfDo you want to be on top of scientific research about hospitality exchange and accomodation sharing?
Our member Luciez has included BeWelcome in her study on the sustainability potentials of the sharing economy, which you can find here: https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/search/publication/8055286
Now she continues her research and sent me An invitation to dinner and focus group on accommodation sharing in London:
A team of researchers from the Urban Sharing project at Lund University, Sweden (www.urbansharing.org) invite London-based users of BeWelcome to dinner and focus group. Together, we hope to incite discussion about your motivations to join BeWelcome, and to talk about your sharing experiences.
To be eligible, you must live in London and have hosted someone on BeWelcome or other accommodation sharing platforms in the past year.
The event will be held in Kensington, London at 19:00 on 16 November.
To sign-up, please email lucie.zvolska@iiiee.lu.se with your name and phone number (spaces to the focus group are limited and will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis).
The Urban Sharing research team looks forward to meeting you in London!
So what are you waiting for??? Would I live in London I'd be the first to ask to participate in the focus group :)BeWelcomeThu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 GMTBeWelcomehttp://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/25745http://www.bewelcome.org/blog/duesseldorf/25745
duesseldorf